Is "Palis" a racist/ethnic slur?

Is "pali" a racist or ethnic slur?

  • Yes

    Votes: 28 52.8%

  • No

    Votes: 25 47.2%
  • Total voters
    53
Arwon

Arwon

stop being water
Joined
Oct 5, 2006
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I see quite often the vehemently anti-Palestinian / anti-Arab / anti-muslim posters on this board use the word "pali" everytime they talk about people in the territories. To me it sounds like "Pakis" used as a racist term against Pakistanis, or "Abo" for Aboriginies or "Chinks" and "Japs" for Chinese and Japanese which are similar sorts of denigrating dehumanising words frequently used in similar ways.

Maybe it's just cos it's always coming from the ones who denigrate and attack and demonise Palestinians at every opportunity, but it sounds pretty awful to me, it's hard not to see it as a pure bigoted slur.
 
Are all those terms really racist? I remember George Bush say pakis once. Out of the context it obviously wasn't meant racist, it was just a convenient short form. Both pakistani ane palestine are rather long and tiresome word aren't they?. The problem is that these anti-whatever have embraced it.
 
It is. Intent is what's important. And the fact you made this thread is like a victory for them. Kind of like a succesful troll.
 
"Paks" and "Pakis" are both ethnic slurs, yes.
 
No it's just a lazy contraction. It would have to be assosciated with an ethnic minority in a country really to be a slur and I don't think it's got the legs. Kike, Yid, Hebe, Red Sea pedestrian, . .. .. .. .. .. ., Spik, Wog, Paki, Wop etc all have the history: Pali does not I don't think. The blanked word is of course a word meaning black in certain European/stroke Africanse type languages.

Here's a good example,Chalky, Caucy, whitey, cracker are funny, they are not racist IMO, because they are not ethnicised derogitory names, they exist in minority communities not in the majority community in most countries.
 
The Japanese aren't really an ethnic minority of note anywhere, yet "Jap" and "Nip" are still racist. Indeed, "I can't be bothered to use your proper, full name because I have such disdain for you" is the origin of many a slur. Take a look at the way it's being used in the Arab-Israel threads on this board or around the net, it's certainly got a lot of currency, and I've never seen it used in a positive manner.
 
Etymologically, no. I don't think any shorthand name is inherently racist. But as someone else said, Intent defines meaning. And 'Paki' Or 'Pali' are almost invariably used in a deregatory manner. Hence, I'd say that whenever somebody is using such terms to attack ethnic groups, they most likely intend them to be slighly racist, to add edge to their arguements. When they are used in a neutral manner, they're probablybeing used quite innocently.
 
I've never heard it to be honest. I can never understand why Paki, the first four letters of Pakistani, is considered racist, whereas Brit, the first four letters of British isnt. Nonetheless, if people feel it is offensive I wouldnt use the termt ot them (or even behind their backs). I'll accept some people find these terms offensive, I just dont understand why, if someone decided to call me Iris it really wouldnt bother me.
 
I've never heard the term "Pali"

But that's not why I came here. Came here to talk about the war...no, not really.

I was in Alabama a couple of years ago, driving down the expressway, listening to talk radio, and some self proclaimed "expert" called the people of Pakistan, wait for it...

Pakistinians

Mrs Dubai and I cracked up. To this day we can kill each other just by uttering the word.

Oh well, what can you expect from a country where most people don't "believe in" evolution?
 
Dubai Vol said:
I've never heard the term "Pali"

But that's not why I came here. Came here to talk about the war...no, not really.

I was in Alabama a couple of years ago, driving down the expressway, listening to talk radio, and some self proclaimed "expert" called the people of Pakistan, wait for it...

Pakistinians

Mrs Dubai and I cracked up. To this day we can kill each other just by uttering the word.

Oh well, what can you expect from a country where most people don't "believe in" evolution?
Click to expand...

Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere with more overtly ignorant people. Just for the lulz. :rotfl:
 
Doesn't Pakistan just mean 'Home of the Paki'? Just like people from Afghanistan are Afghanis, and people from Kazakhstan are Kazakhs?

I always figured the -stine suffix derived from the same root.

So I wouldn't think the term is inherently racist, no.
 
To be honest it makes me think of Paladins, and really they are pretty much the opposite of Palestinians. I'd never even heard of it before seeing it a few days ago here in OT.

As far as terms are concerned the words themselves have no connotations, but they are given connotations by those who popularise the use of them. "Paki" was always used as a slur and took on that connotation. "Jap" was in such wide use that it's hard to associate it with just those who dislike Japan. I tend to use words like "Jap", "Frog" or "Gerry" because I find them colourful and sometimes quicker to say, but I wouldn't use any word where it would be interpreted as a slur (by people whose opinions I'm remotely interested in).
 
History_Buff said:
Doesn't Pakistan just mean 'Home of the Paki'? Just like people from Afghanistan are Afghanis, and people from Kazakhstan are Kazakhs?

I always figured the -stine suffix derived from the same root.

So I wouldn't think the term is inherently racist, no.
Click to expand...

It means "Pure Land"
 
Dubai Vol said:
I've never heard the term "Pali"

But that's not why I came here. Came here to talk about the war...no, not really.

I was in Alabama a couple of years ago, driving down the expressway, listening to talk radio, and some self proclaimed "expert" called the people of Pakistan, wait for it...

Pakistinians

Mrs Dubai and I cracked up. To this day we can kill each other just by uttering the word.

Oh well, what can you expect from a country where most people don't "believe in" evolution?
Click to expand...

Bwah! That's pretty awesome.
 
Arwon said:
"Paks" and "Pakis" are both ethnic slurs, yes.
Click to expand...

Doesn't "stan" mean "land of the"? So Pakistan would be Land of the Paki (or maybe Paks)? If that is the case, how would Paki be a slur?

Please don't go busting my chops here, I myself use Pakistani and Palestinian, but I could see where Pak or Paki makes sense. Not sure about Pali though.

EDIT: Nevermind, History_Buff already asked this. Teach me to read the whole thread before posting. :blush:
 
It's not inherently racist, as stated. No term is. But terms like Paki or Abo have taken on those connotations, they're both slurs, at least in Australia. If you use "Abo" expect reactions ranging from people cringing at your ignorance, people taking great offense, or perhaps very politely explaining that you do NOT use that term. You might occasionally hear people refer to the Pakistan Cricket Team as "the Pakis" without intending to cause offense, but it's still a bit off-colour. I suspect it's probably worse in the UK because they're a more significant minority there.

I don't think anybody would dispite that there's a definite category of ethnic slurs which are "short forms used with disdain to denigrate people", Sidhe gave some other examples.

I think the usage of "pali" by some posters on this board, and by similar types elsewhere on the internet, is becoming such a bigotted slur through usage.
 
The same few people on this board insist on calling Palestinians "Palis" or some other such contraction, and I find it akin to "Paki" or "Hajji", and I would support the banning of such terminology here.
 
nonconformist said:
The same few people on this board insist on calling Palestinians "Palis" or some other such contraction, and I find it akin to "Paki" or "Hajji", and I would support the banning of such terminology here.
Click to expand...

who does Hajji refer to?
 
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